France's Premier Lecornu Steps Down After Under a 30-Day Period in Power
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, shortly after his cabinet was announced.
The French presidency issued a statement after Lecornu met Macron for an meeting on Monday morning.
This shock move comes only 26 days after Lecornu was given the PM role following the dissolution of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Political factions in the National Assembly had strongly opposed the structure of his ministerial team, which was very close to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Pressure for Snap Polls and Government Unrest
Several parties are now demanding new parliamentary polls, with some urging Macron to resign too - even though he has always said he will not leave before his term ends in 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: calling new elections or leaving office," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in under two years.
Context of Political Turmoil
The nation's governance has been markedly turbulent since last summer, when early legislative polls resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to secure enough backing to pass any bills.
The former cabinet was voted down in September after parliament declined to support his spending cuts plan, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by $51 billion.
Economic Pressures and Market Response
France's deficit hit 5.8 percent of economic output in 2024 and its national debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the European monetary union after two southern European nations, and equivalent to almost 50k euros for each resident.
Share prices dropped in the Paris bourse after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on Monday.
